I don't wish a drowning death on anyone but this guy was a career criminal.
Rotney had spent the weekend drinking and getting high according to the girl he was living with. As I recall, he was 6'6, 260 lbs or something like that. He was high when he attacked the 3 white cops and 1 Hispanic cop - all average sized. He earned and deserved that beating but it apparently taught him nothing.
I had more sympathy for Reginald Denny who was beaten and almost killed because of his skin color. But then Denny turned out to be a white Uncle Tom, who had nary a word of criticism for his black attackers but excoriated whites sending him money for their "racism."
Looks like neither man learned from their beating ...